To reach the market, food products such as apples are typically subject to bumps and bruises from handling while undergoing grading, packaging, shipping, merchandising, etc. To protect the food products against mishandling during any one of these activities, cartons and trays, generally made of resilient material such as foamed polystyrene and pulp, are often used to hold the food products and protect them against shocks and impacts.
Not only must cartons and trays made for such purposes be soft and resilient to provide sufficient cushion, they must also be strong enough to withstand stresses applied during any of the above mentioned activities. They must also be configured to sufficiently shield the food products and be able to be stacked conveniently and securely.